Repeated reading to enhance fluency: Old approaches and new directions

Abstract

As phoneme awareness deficits and resulting decoding weaknesses are increasingly addressed, there is heightened awareness of the role of fluency in reading. This paper reviews the history of fluency training, discusses the theoretical bases of such training, and summarizes the current knowledge about the efficacy of training procedures. We focus on Repeated Reading (RR), the most familiar and researched approach to fluency training. Outcome data on Repeated Reading, presented in the form of questions, is meant to answer practitioners’ questions about implementation and efficacy and to provide a starting point for researchers interested in the topic. Although some answers are straightforward, others indicate the subtleties involved in answering the broad question, “Does Repeated Reading work?” In addition to a list of practical suggestions based on Repeated Readings findings, three new approaches to fluency training are introduced.

Torgesen, J., Rashotte, C., and Wagner, R. November 1997. Research on instructional interventions for children with reading disabilities. Paper delivered at International Dyslexia Association, Minneapolis, MN.